Edinburgh restaurants: Loch Fyne restaurant at Newhaven harbour announces 'sad' sudden closure

The popular seafood restaurant has closed it’s doors.

A popular Newhaven restaurant has left locals shocked after it announced its sudden closure.

Loch Fyne, on Pier Place, will close with immediate effect, according to a statement on the eatery’s website. Staff also thanked customers for their support over the years. The restaurant, located at the picturesque harbour, is a converted former fish market dating back to the 1890s. Now the shock announcement has cast doubt over the historic building’s future.

A post on the website under the heading ‘thank you for the memories’ said: “We are sad to inform you that we’ll be closing our doors on 26th October 2023. We would like to say a big thank you for your support and for being part of the Loch Fyne Journey.”

Loch Fyne has closed

Locals have been left shocked and saddened by the news. One local mum said: “My family has lived in Newhaven for more than twenty years. My granddad was a fisherman. It used to be that everyone was involved in the fishing industry in some way. We used to get a chippy and sit and watch the boats at the harbour. Loch Fyne was a lovely spot to sit outside and take in the atmosphere down here. It’s a special location and kept that connection alive to the local fishing communities, so it's really sad to see it go especially coming up to Christmas.”

Another posted on social media; “Bad news for Newhaven and Edinburgh seafood fans as Loch Fyne closes. The harbour won't be the same without it.”

The restaurant started life as part of Loch Fyne Oysters but, in September 2006, the restaurant chain was bought by Greene King for £68 million. Loch Fyne Oysters continues in business under separate ownership. It owns the "Loch Fyne" brand and supplies much of the seafood used by the restaurant chain.

A spokesperson for Loch Fyne said: “It is with great sadness that we have made the difficult decision to close our Edinburgh Loch Fyne restaurant. All customers with a booking were contacted on Thursday ahead of the closure and we are arranging for anyone that had paid a deposit to receive a full refund over the coming days.”

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